UH Hilo archivist elected to prominent national committee

HILO, Hawaiʻi - Helen Wong Smith, Hawaiian Collection Librarian and Archivist for the Edwin H. Mookini Library at the University of Hawaiʻi at Hilo, has been elected to the Nominating Committee of the Society of American Archivists (SAA).

Smith is the first Certified Archivist from Hawaiʻi to be elected to an SAA high-level national committee. She has presented twice at SAA‘s annual conferences, and she sits on its Education Committee and Minority Graduate Education Scholarship Task Force.

Founded in 1936, the Society is the country's oldest and largest national archival professional association. With over 5,000 individual and institutional members, the SAA provides leadership to ensure the identification, preservation, and use of records of historical value. The Nominating Committee selects a slate of candidates to present for membership vote.

"It's a huge honor," said Smith, who has been with the Mookini Library about 18 months, but who has been working with archival materials in Hawaiʻi for over 25 years.

Certified by the Academy of Certified Archivists in 2001, Smith plans on continuing to use her expert knowledge and skills in collecting and preserving for use books, documents, and other artifacts related to Hawaii's precious heritage. She is also actively engaged in adapting UH Hilo's institutional archives to adhere to best standards and to house items in both print and digital formats.

Smith has served as President of the Association of Hawaiʻi Archivists twice and is currently its liaison with the Hawaiʻi Museum Association.

The Edwin H. Mookini Library proudly serves the University of Hawaiʻi at Hilo and Hawaiʻi Community College. Visit the Mookini Library at library.uhh.hawaii.edu.